PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release April 27, 2020
827 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone: 808-537-6333 Fax: 808-521-6286 HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Cat Howland Hawaii Community Foundation (808) 566-5569 (Office) (808) 260-5001 (Mobile) chowland@hcf-hawaii.org
COOKE FOUNDATION ACCELERATES $1 MILLION IN UNRESTRICTED GRANTS TO 101 HAWAI‘I NONPROFITS Trustees state that nonprofits need unrestricted funding now more than ever HONOLULU, HI — The Cooke Foundation has announced expedited payments of their planned Centennial Award Grants to 101 local nonprofit organizations this week. Grants will be sent to the organizations by the end of the month. “When our state is coping with a crisis, nonprofit organizations are often the front lines of care and survival for those in need,” said Gregory Wrenn, the current president who represents the fifth generation of Cooke leadership. “I've never seen a more critical time when our Foundation can support these organizations by fast-tracking the centennial grants to inject one million unrestricted dollars into the community, when they need it the most.” Each of the 101 nonprofit organizations will receive a $10,000 grant by the end of April. In March 2020, the Cooke Foundation announced that they would mark their centennial anniversary by distributing grants to 101 local nonprofit organizations at a celebration event in June. Due to COVID-19, the event will be rescheduled in 2021 at the end of the organization’s centennial year. The grants are designed to acknowledge the substantial work Hawai‘i’s nonprofits have done to improve the quality of life for local communities. “As an arts organization, we have paused our physical programs until the COVID-19 crisis passes, but our work continues as we collaborate with Nu‘uanu Elementary School (EMK), Ka Waihona o ka I‘auao PCS (OPERAtunities) & HYOC (OPERAtunities) through distance and virtual learning channels,” said Nola Nahulu, Executive Director of the Hawai‘i Youth Opera Chorus. “These unrestricted funds go a long way toward providing arts-oriented activities to Hawai‘i’s keiki, during this time when creativity and levity can help with well-being and feelings of normalcy.”
Organizations receiving a Centennial Award were reviewed and selected from a list of over 300 past Cooke Foundation grant recipients. For the full list of this year’s 101 grantees, visit CookeFoundationLimited.org ### About Cooke Foundation Established in 1920, the Cooke Foundation, Limited supports worthy endeavors in the community that the family feels will make a significant difference in the betterment and welfare of the people of Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i Community Foundation is the Cooke Foundation’s grants administrator.